Drunk grabbed steering wheel and ploughed car into group of Halifax night clubbers

Shocking CCTV footage of the victims being thrown into the air and landing on the bonnet of the Ford Focus vehicle was shown in court today (Wednesday) before car passenger Kyle Thompson, 25, was jailed for dangerous driving and affray.

The terrifying collision took place in the early hours of May 20 last year after Bradford man Thompson had been involved in a confrontation with three other men outside the Acapulco nightclub on Waterhouse Street.

The Calderdale Council CCTV footage shown during a hearing at Bradford Crown Court captured the men "gesturing and posturing" in the street with some punches being thrown and Judge Neil Davey QC said that should have been the end of the incident.

But after Thompson was taken back to his friend's parked car the vehicle was caught on camera setting off and suddenly veering into the group of pedestrians standing in the road.

Thompson, who is already serving a prison sentence for an attempted house burglary, later admitted that he had grabbed the steering wheel causing the car to hit two men and a woman.

The female victim later recalled seeing the car driving at them and the next thing she remembered was paramedics holding her head.

Prosecutor Dave Mackay said she described feeling pain in her neck and down her leg, but fortunately her injuries were bruising and grazing to her body and a very sore back.

He said the injured men were also taken to hospital and treated for elbow and hip injuries.

The Focus was stopped in Bradford a few hours after the collision and Thompson confessed to being drunk and grabbing the steering wheel.

Judge Davey sentenced Thompson to a total of 27 months in jail after he pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous driving and affray.

He described Thompson as the instigator of the trouble that night and said he had been "up for fighting" despite efforts by others to restrain him.

The judge said Thompson had deliberately steered the car towards innocent and helpless pedestrians and it was purely by good luck that they were not more seriously injured.

Thompson's barrister Helen Chapman conceded that the CCTV footage was shocking to watch and she described her client'saction as stupid.

She said the father-of-two had hoped to be released from his current sentence in time for Christmas, but that plainly would not now happen.

"He recognises that his offending has to stop and expresses through me genuine remorse for his appalling behaviour that night," she added.

Dean Regan, 29, formerly of Nursery Lane, Halifax, and his 24-year-old brother Gregory, of Nursery Lane, were both sentenced to six months in jail, suspended for two years, and ordered to do 100 hours unpaid work for their part in the affray.

Andrew Smith, 26, of Croft Rise, Halifax, received the same sentence after he also admitted the affray charge.